We all know that secrets don't make friends. But in Kate Vernon's case, she
might not have had many friends left had she leaked the one she was keeping.

Vernon, star of the hit Sci Fi Channel series
"Battlestar Galactica," now in its climactic season,
had a major cross to bear, a series-altering revelation
that she was forced to sit on...for two years!

Vernon's 'Ellen Tigh,' a space-aged Lady MacBeth
and fan-dubbed "cosmic cougar," was recently
revealed to be the fifth and final Cylon prototype
hidden amongst humans, sentient robots driven to
destroy what remains of mankind, their creators
and former masters. Two years may not seem like
a long time to the Hollywood outsider, but consider
this: Vernon had to navigate the curiosity-infested
waters of a horde of speculative, rabid fans, journalists,
friends, family, and even fellow cast members
trying to pry the dirty details out of her. Her
formerly classified revelation on the "Battlestar
Galactica" season 4.5 premiere in January was more
than a sigh of relief; by then, it was a godsend.

Here Vernon , who starred in such memorable
films and series as MALCOLM X, PRETTY IN PINK,
"LA Law," and "Who's the Boss," talks to IN LA
Magazine about carrying such a burden, reflects on
playing such a "delicious" role, and the never-ending
joy that is "frak."

You've used the following words to describe
your character 'Ellen:' sexy; naughty; strong;
powerful; childish; selfish; and forceful.
Anything you left out?! What was it like for you
to play such a layered part?

Intelligent! 'Ellen' is also very intelligent and
knows just how to get what she wants. Many fans
of the show tended to write her off as a b****, but
to that I just argued she's misunderstood - she had
so much more ambition than her second-in-command
hubby ('Saul Tigh'), and it drove her crazy!
So she learned to use her sexuality as a weapon to
manipulate people. She might have seemed like a
villain, but everything she did was out of a volatile
love for 'Saul.'

It was a dream to play this role, the best of my
career so far. I'll say this for one thing: 'Ellen' is a
lot bolder than I'll ever be!

The big secret...what was that like, keeping a
tight lid for two years?

I told my manager. I told my agent. I told my
publicist. I mean, I was so afraid for this secret to
get out and potentially spoil such an anticipated
moment! It wasn't easy, and everyone kept guessing,
especially the fans - they're so into it, developing
their own theories constantly, it's what makes
them so great!

Ok, lastly, what is up with 'frak?!'

Frak is the "Battlestar Galactica" equivalent of a
very popular, four-letter expletive. You can do the
math from there. It's pretty much a part of my own
personal language right now!